MONTREAL ­­ The killing of a Quebec tourist in his Dominican Republic hotel room over the holidays was a tragic event but will do little to alter the vacation plans of Canadian sun-seekers, travel officials said yesterday.

But while the violent death of a Canadian abroad is rare, travellers are advised not to let the atmosphere of an island paradise lull them into a false sense of security.

Canadians should take the same precautions while travelling as they would anywhere, advised Canadian Foreign Affairs spokesperson André Lemay.

Trips to Mexico, Canada’s top international travel destination after the United States, were up 10 per cent over 2007 to 1.1 million visits in 2008.

The rise came despite the highly publicized murder of an Ontario couple at a Mexican resort in 2006 and the deaths in Mexico of two young Canadians in 2007, which authorities attributed to a car accident and a fall from a balcony, but the families said were slayings.

Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed yesterday that a Canadian was killed in the Dominican Republic, but would not release details for “privacy reasons.”

Gagné was killed at a private villa in Sosua on the north coast, near Puerto Plata.

In response to suggestions from some online comments saying travel to developing countries is dangerous and should be avoided, Lemay noted that the murder of Canadian tourists, who took 6 million international vacations in 2008, is a rarity.

“There are millions of Canadians travelling to all four corners of the world,” Lemay said. “It is very rare, Canadians are very seldom targeted. It’s just something that happens.”

The Canadian Foreign Affairs Department says Canadian travellers should:

n Inform themselves of the country’s security situation beforehand on the Foreign Affairs website, which lists everything from violent crime to political upheaval to flooding. For the Dominican Republic, the website recommends that travellers “exercise a high degree of caution,” then notes that while violence has affected “a few foreigners,” such petty crimes as pickpocketing are common.

n Inform themselves about which neighbourhoods are safe to walk in and those that should be avoided, especially after dark.

n Not flash money around or show signs of affluence.

Basically, use common sense, Lemay said.

Yesterday, a Montreal travel agent said she didn’t expect the news of a Quebecer being killed in the Dominican Republic to reduce the number of Quebecers booking trips there, much like the Ontario couple’s deaths in Mexico failed to put a dent in travel to that country.

“We didn’t see much of a change in bookings to Mexico after that,” said Nancy Parsa, a travel agent at the Uniglobe agency in downtown Montreal. “But after H1N1, then we saw a huge drop.”

Le Journal de Montréal reported that Gagné and a friend went on a last-minute trip to the 12-room hotel, surrounded by a high fence and protected by a security guard. On the night of Dec. 30, two men broke into Gagné’s friend’s room at 2 a.m., tied him up, stole his credit cards, cash and cellphone, and pistol-whipped him. They then went to Gagné’s room, and the friend said he heard two gunshots.

The friend, who requested anonymity, told reporters the security guard has been arrested for giving information to the robbers on the whereabouts of the two Quebecers. One other man has been arrested.

Canadians took 2.2 million trips to the Caribbean and Bermuda in 2008, according to Statistics Canada. Half a million of those vacations were to the Dominican Republic.

There is always a bit of upheaval after a violent event in a country abroad, said Donavon Gaudette, communications manager for the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies.

“Then people will soon chalk it up to wrong place, wrong time,” he said. “Most of the time, we find Canadians are a cautious bunch – and a trusting bunch, too.”

To check on the status of a foreign country, visit www.international.gc.ca

rbruemmer@

thegazette.canwest.com

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.